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With each new season comes new trends; hot topics for a short period that fade as the season does. The Harlem shake, flappy bird, pokemon go, and feather hair extensions are just a few examples of these most recent trends. Finstagram, “Finsta” for short, has defied the status quo.

The term “Finsta” is a combination of the words ‘fake’ and ‘Instagram’. These accounts began popping up on Instagram in early 2015, with new accounts being constantly created. Commonly used by teenage girls, these accounts are private, and only close friends are allowed to follow. But what is the difference between this account and a user’s primary, real Instagram, or “rinsta”?

“It’s fun to have a much more informal way to share my life with a smaller, closer group of friends than my rinsta,” senior Georgia Gillenwater said. “I can express myself in a way that I wouldn’t on my rinsta.”

Posts range from delicious food, to memes. Rants about life are also posted, with the occasional makeup-free, goofy selfie. Although many use Finsta as a way to communicate with friends in a fun, casual manner, some have gotten out of hand, leading to the deletion of accounts.

“Other people can still see what you post on your Finsta via screenshots,” senior Elizabeth Kimbrell said. “You still have to be careful with what you post.”

Elizabeth points out a detail that many users forget. Although accounts are private, users need to be conscious of what they post. Because Finstas are private accounts, many reports of bullying have been made because friends of friends take screenshots of pictures, which were meant to be private. When this happens, parents and adults are quick to get involved, and many accounts are then shut down for being inappropriate and bullying/harassment.

As long as the account is used correctly, for fun and informal communication, and the user is aware of what they are posting, Finstas seem to be popular among current users.

“I recommend it because it’s just a silly thing and I love it,” junior Anushka Yadava said. “It’s great to share all of your silly pictures and moments.”